IKEA Museum

About the museum

The IKEA Museum opened in June 2016 in Älmhult in Småland, where IKEA was born. The museum is in the building that was once the very first IKEA department store, from 1958. The exterior of the house has been restored using the original drawings by the local architect Claes Knutson, while the interior has been adapted to the needs of a modern museum.

The exhibitions tell how Ingvar Kamprad, who grew up in Agunnaryd in Småland, started IKEA as a small mail-order company in the 1940s and built it into a global home furnishing company. Hundreds of stories cover innovations, mistakes and memorable products, decade by decade. Vintage furniture and products from 1950 onwards are shown in rooms and home settings, and the digital part contains IKEA's catalogues from 1950 onwards.

Behind the museum is the department Arkiv & Samling (Archive & Collection), which keeps everything from products to photographs, drawings, films and letters. The museum has a restaurant, a museum shop and regular tours, workshops and activities for families. A new museum is currently being built, and the ongoing development work in Älmhult affects the car parking.

Highlights

• The first IKEA department store from 1958 as a museum building
• The main exhibition The Story of IKEA
• Original furniture and products from 1950 onwards in home settings
• Digitised IKEA catalogues
• A museum shop and a restaurant serving meatballs

Permanent exhibitions

• Berättelsen om IKEA – The main exhibition follows IKEA's development from the stones of Småland to today's home furnishing company, decade by decade.
• Våra rötter – A journey through time from the Ice Age to modern Sweden, showing the conditions that shaped IKEA.
• Hej Ingvar! – An exhibition with the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, at its centre.

Founded

2016

Operated by

Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

Admission & discounts

Free admission for IKEA co-workers and their partners and children living at home, and for guests at the IKEA Hotel. Tickets cannot be booked in advance. The museum is cashless: payment by card or Swish.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Visitors with wheelchairs, rollators or prams can move on and between all floors, through the exhibitions, the shop and into the restaurant. Wheelchairs can be borrowed. Accessible toilets are on several floors, three of them with particularly large space. Disabled parking is directly outside the entrance. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome; other pets may not come in because of allergy sufferers.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly

The exhibitions are interactive and suit curious people of all ages. The restaurant has children's meals, and the museum shop has things for children. The museum arranges, among other things, autumn-holiday crafts.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in central Älmhult. A parking map is on the website, and staff can give more information.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Visitors have free access to Wi-Fi during the visit. The restaurant has a menu based on meatballs, including vegetarian and chicken meatballs, as well as children's meals and fika. The museum shop sells souvenirs; the range can only be bought on site.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The museum offers half-day and full-day meetings, breakfast meetings, workshops and a private evening at the museum with a buffet and guided tour.

Plan your visit